


The Many Lives Of Lena Luthor

by BandraK



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-21
Updated: 2017-11-20
Packaged: 2019-02-04 22:39:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 10,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12781131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BandraK/pseuds/BandraK
Summary: A collection of Lena centric drabbles I wrote for an RP account (now defunct) to help me get a feel for Lena. Some are shippy, some are silly, some are angsty; really it's a grab bag of emotions. About the only thing they have in common (other than being about Lena Luthor) is they're all one-shots (except for the ones that aren't) and they're all relatively short (except the ones that aren't).





	1. Lantern Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was the first drabble I posted (and my first time writing for Lena so apologies in advance).
> 
> When I first floated the idea of setting up a Lena Luthor RP account I got sent a message suggesting a verse where Lena was part of the green lantern corps and this popped into my head. 
> 
> I should point out that my knowledge of the Green Lantern was (and still is) pretty much limited to the Ryan Reynolds movie (I know) and the few seasons of the animated Justice league that I’ve seen so I’ve probably got a million things wrong (and I apologies to the die hard fans for those errors).

Lena blinked the sleep from her eyes, turning towards her nightstand to see that she had —once again— out raced her alarm clock. A small grin curled her lips as she pushed herself up, her shoulders digging into the quilted headboard as her expensive but practical cotton sheets gathered around her waist. She stretched one arm up over her head, the other bent at the elbow to cover her mouth as she yawned, fingers loosely curled towards her palm.

Blinking again, she turned back to her night stand and reached out for the touchscreen embedded in its top to activate the motorized blinds currently holding back the early morning light.

And stopped.

And stared. Stared at the ring on her finger where there shouldn’t have been a ring. A wide band of pure green that flowed smoothly around a bevelled circle that glowed with a faint green light around what at first glance appeared to be a stylized 101 that someone had pushed together until the numbers blended into one symbol but which, with a small tilt of her head, became something else. Something beyond imagining. 

But it had been a dream… hadn’t it?

_…In brightest day, in blackest night…_

Lena pulled her hand back, slowly bringing the ring up to her eyes for a closer look.

_…no evil shall escape my sight…_

Her hand froze half way to her face as the faint glow grew stronger.

_…let those who worship evil’s might…_

Her other hand clamped around her finger and the metal —if it was metal— felt warm against her palm. Not unpleasant, but more than mere body heat would explain away.

Her grip tightened, arm tensed, ready to pull the ring from her finger.

Lena hesitated.

_…beware my power…_

The ring grew warmer under her hand with each passing second, each trembling breath until she locked her lungs. Lena closed her eyes.

It was a dream.

Wasn’t it?

The tip of her tongue wet her lips. Her eyes opened, the glow behind their usual pale green unnoticed as her lips parted.

Her jaw quavered for a heartbeat

“Green Lantern’s light.”


	2. To Be Or Not To Be A Lantern

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part two of Green!Lantern Lena (and the 6th drabble originally)
> 
> This is the _dream_ Lena was remembering in the first part. Or at least part of it.
> 
> I really liked this verse and will be forever disappointed it never went beyond these drabbles.

“You’ve made a mistake.” Lena insisted as she followed the inhumanely tall figure deeper into the alien… temple was the first word that popped into Lena’s head but sanctuary would have been a better description. And one larger than any she’d ever seen on Earth.

“ _We’ve_ made nothing, Miss Luthor. The ring decides. No-“

“Then the ring has made a mistake. “ Lena doubled her pace until she stood in front of her guide, head titled back to look up into his flame orange eyes, each as big as her fist. “I’m not a superhero.”

The Alien, he —or she— still hadn’t given her a name, rose what Lena assumed was its equivalent of an eyebrow. “The ring thinks otherwise.”

“The ring is wrong. And even if it wasn’t, I don’t have time for this.”

“You don’t-“ It stood back, a hand composed of three long, thin fingers joined together by a translucent membrane half way down their length pressed against the logo emblazoned across the chest of its uniform. The same logo on the ring on one of its fingers. The same logo on the ring resting on her own finger and the matching uniform that covered her from neck to toe. “Do you have any _idea _what an honour it is to be chosen?”__

____

Alien or not, Lena could hear the incredulity in its voice and the offence. Neither deterred her. “Do you have any idea how many people are depending on me for their lively hood? I run a multi-national corporation that employees the population of a small nation. Hundreds of thousands of people wh-“

____

“And now hundreds of billions depend on you for their _lives_.” It said, hands now folded together behind its back as it looked down at her.

____

Lena took a step back but pressed on. “And if I refuse?”

____

The alien… the Lantern let out a slow breath that smelled faintly of cinnamon. “That is your right. The ring draws strength from the conviction of the one wearing it. If you truly do not wish to serve the corps, you need only take it off.”

____

Her eyebrow rose in suspicion. “That’s it? That’s all it takes?”

____

“Indeed. The ring will seek out another, someone more likely to understand the gift being offered to them… and the responsibility.”

____

Her eyes narrowed for a seconds before they dropped to her hand, the fingers of her other hand slowly twisting the ring back and forth. for several more seconds before she asked, “And if I don’t? If I keep it?”

____

“Then you join a select and honourable few, Miss Luthor. With all the privileges, powers, authority and demands that come with it.”

____

Lena continued to study the ring that had appeared on her desk and that –for reasons she still couldn’t name– she’d put on only to find herself here… wherever here was.

____

A slow breath filled her lungs, stretching logo on her chest. A slow, soft sigh released the breath back into the room. “Why me?” She looked up at the other Lantern. “My family isn’t exactly a bastion of goodness and light, especially when it comes to aliens.”

____

The Lantern shrugged. The familiar gesture distorted by the unfamiliar biology beneath it as muscle and bone shifted in unexpected ways. “I couldn’t say. Each ring has a personality of its own and seeks out those with whom it shares a kinship, a connection, a bond. Perhaps it senses more to you than your family’s misdeeds.”

____

She turned back to the ring. “Who had it before me?”

____

“A great and much loved Lantern.”

____

“I take it he didn’t retire.”

____

“No. No _She_ didn’t.” Lena looked up into those large eyes again, her apology never making it past the tip of her tongue before the Lantern asked, “Is that what you fear? Death?”

____

“No.” Lena denied without hesitation. That waited until the word was past her lips and the Lantern continued to watch her in silence as she stared back, still twisting the ring on her finger from side to side. “I- I made my peace with that a long time ago.” A weak smile bent her lips. “Not that I go seeking it out either.” She let out a short, soft laugh before shaking her head. “but I don’t let the risk of it decide my choices either.”

____

A slow nod, orange eyes never leaving hers. “Then what is it you fear?”

____

Lena tilted her head back a little more, chin raised in challenge. “A test?”

____

The Lantern’s head leant to one side. “A question.”

____

Lena held her pose for several heart beats before lowering her chin, then lowered her head entirely until her eyes landed on her ring again. The muted susurration of countless conversations behind held out of sight in equally countless languages hovered on the edge of hearing as she considered her answer. Or, more accurately, whether to share the answer she already knew.

____

“A life without purpose.”

____

Unseen by Lena, the Lantern smiled. Thin lips pulled back to reveal a row of feral teeth, each a polished grey. “I see.”

____

Lena caught the wave of Its hand out of the corner of her eye and looked up in time to see another Lantern. This one a walking collection of stone. “My friend will show you around if you wish to see more before you make your choice, and make sure you return safely to your home whatever that choice may be.” The Lantern —the first Lantern— bowed. “It has been a pleasure to meet you, Miss Luthor.”

____

“Lena.”

____

It rose up and this time Lena saw the smile. “Lena.” With a final nod, the Lantern turned and walked away.

____

Lena turned towards her new guide. “And what do I call you?”

____

“Brother, I hope.”

____

Lena laughed as she shook her head. “Not if you knew my brother.” She waved off the look of confusion —though how she could tell a living rock was confused was a mystery; perhaps a benefit of the ring still on her finger— and motioned with her head towards the other end of the wide corridor they stood in, deeper into the sanctuary. “Alright, give me the tour.”

____


	3. The Interview

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SUPERCORP!
> 
> My first time writing Supercorp... 
> 
> Anyway, this takes place near the arrival of Lena in National City and it's basically my take on Kara interviewing Lena without Clark tagging along. 
> 
> This was the second drabble I posted. it also led to me trying out Kara as an rp account because I had too much fun writing her not to. Yes, I do in fact know that I have no will power.

“You’re left handed?”

“Hmm?” Lena’s right eyebrow rose but her eyes remained fixed on the proposal spread out across her desk as she scanned the last minute changes awaiting her approval.

“Nothing. Sorry. I just-“

“Colour for your article?”

“Yeah. “ Kara sat up a little straighter as she hurriedly amended her answer to “Yes.”

This time, Lena looked up. A smile cracked her blood red lips, the colour standing out even more against her pale skin. “How sinister.”

“What?” Kara half stumbled, half jumped to her feet only to have to bend over to retrieve the notebook she knocked onto the floor, all while protesting. “No. I didn’t-“

“Relax, Miss Danvers. I was making a joke.”

Still bent at the waist, Kara lifted her head into view, her face scrunched in confusion before she pushed it aside with a shake of her head as she continued to rise. “Please, call me Kara.”

“Only if you call me Lena.”

“I-“

Lena cocked an eyebrow at the blonde as she locked her pale green eyes locked with Kara’s.

“Okay.” Kara’s chin dipped in a small nod. “Lena it is.”

“See,” Lena’s grin grew even wider. “Was that so hard?”

“No.” Kara agreed as she lowered herself back onto the couch where she’d been waiting.

“No.” Lena turned back to her paperwork. “And now that we’re on a first name basis, I don’t feel so bad about keeping you waiting.”

“You really don’t have to, anyway. I can see you’re busy and just agreeing to give me this interview is huge. I don’t mind waiting.”

Lena smiled to herself as she made a small correction. “Are you always this accommodating?”

“I try.”

Lena’s pen paused mid stroke. “Your boyfriend must be pleased by that.”

“No. I mean I don’t- Hahaha.”

Lena looked up from desk again in time to catch Kara pushing her glasses back up her nose.

“Sorry.” She flashed Lena a bashful grin. “I just got the sinister, left thing. Good joke.”

Both eyebrows went up this time as Lena’s lowered her head again. Her teeth pulled at her lower lip before she replied with a soft, “I try.”

Several moments passed with only the scratch of Lena’s pen as she made the occasional notation the only sound.

“So…”

“Sorry. Almost done.”

“You don’t have to apologize. I can come back later if that works better for you.”

“Does it work for your deadline?”

“… Not really. But I can always ask for an extension. You’re big news, I’m sure they’d wait an extra day or two.”

“Or,” Lena struck out a final paragraph with a single slash of ink, scribbling a note in the margin as she continued, “We can do it over dinner.” She gathered the papers together and looked up at Kara as she tapped them into a neatly aligned stack. A stack she slipped into a folder before she pushed both aside. “That is, if you don’t have any other plans. You never did say whether or not you had a boyfriend.”

“No. No boyfriend.”

Lena slipped her pen into its stand. “Girlfriend?”

“No.” Kara glanced down at her notebook as she shook her head. “But my sister’s gay.” The last bit came out a bit more eagerly than she’d intended.

Lena got up from her seat and joined Kara on the couch. “So dinner it is, then?”

“Uhm, yeah. Yes. Dinner would be fine. Good even. I could eat. Well, not right now. I mean I could but-“

“Kara?”

“… Yes?”

“Relax.”

“Yes.”

“And Kara.”

“Yes?”

“For the record; I’m ambidextrous.”

“Oh.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was a second part to this (the 7th drabble I posted) but it appears to be AWOL and I don't know when or how it happened. This is what I get for only saving to tumblr.


	4. Realizing The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More Supercorp... sort of
> 
> Lena has a revelation about one Kara Danvers and doesn't know what to do about it. 
> 
> This was the 3rd drabble I posted.

How had she not seen it sooner. It had been staring her in the face since the first day Kara had walked into her office. How could she have been so blind? How could she have never noticed, never figured it out before now. All the myriad little moments, the telltale giveaways that _should_ have given it away, that had jumped up and down in front her her for days, weeks all but screaming for her to notice them.

And now that she had, how would she face Kara? How would she keep herself from blurting out what she knew the next time they saw each other. Or the time after that. Or the time after that. How was she going to get by day after day holding this secret inside, a secret that would change everything once Kara knew what Lena knew.

She couldn’t.

Somehow, some when she would slip up. Her gaze would linger a little too long or her tone of voice would turn some otherwise innocuous statement into something even Kara, for all of her forgiving obtuseness at times, would see through as easily as Supergirl could see through a wall.

Exactly that easily.

And then the truth would be out and there would be this… this thing between them and there would be no way to take it back and just pretend like it hadn’t happened, like neither of them knew the other knew.

Would Kara hate her? Fear her? Luthors didn’t exactly come with the best track record and for as close as she and Kara had become, for being her only real friend in this city, in her life…

Some secrets were better left that way.

Which brought Lena back to how she would keep this one locked away. To pretend like it wasn’t running on a constant loop in her head every time she was around Kara. Every time she saw Kara. Every time she thought of Kara.

Which was, admittedly, a lot of the time. But that was the problem wasn’t it?

She loved Kara Danvers.

She was in love with Kara Danvers.

Lena Luthor was madly, desperately, horribly in love with Kara Danvers.

And there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it.


	5. Surprise Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More Supercorp... again... sort of. 
> 
> Lena runs a top to bottom search of all L Corp computers for any more of Lex's secret plans and brings the results over to Kara to give to Supergirl. A bit of fluff, a bit of awkward (okay, more than a bit) and somewhat flustered Kara by the end. 
> 
> This was the 4th drabble I posted and it was inspired by the two-ish minutes of the (new at the time) Teen Titan movie. I had seen the day before.

“Lena?” Kara’s face scrunched up in confused surprise as she looked at the woman on the other side of the now open door to her apartment.

“Yes. Sorry.” Lena shot a quick peek over Kara’s shoulder as surreptitiously as she could after taking in the little black dress —demure yet flattering the blonde’s lithe figure— that Kara was wearing. The smile on her lips flickered. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

“Oh,” Kara looked down at her dress then back up, the hand not still resting on the door waved away Lena’s concerns. “No. Not yet anyway. I have a… thing later.”

Lena’s lips briefly folded over her teeth. “I see.” Her head gave a quick shake as she stepped back, “I won’t bother you then. I’ll just-“

“No, Lena. It’s okay. I could actually use your help?”

“Oh?” Lena’s lips twitched into a small grin, her feet moving on their own accord to walk her into Kara’s apartment as Kara stepped back in invitation.

“Yeah. You always look so amazing and, you know, perfect. I could use your opinion on an outfit for tonight.”

“Ah… Yes. Of course. Anything for a friend, right?”

“Thanks.”

“Please, don’t.” A tight smile blinked across her mouth. “And just between us, I’m far from perfect.”

Kara laughed as she turned around, revealing the back of her dress and the generous portion of her upper back it displayed.

Lena bit down on her bottom lip, barely containing the whimper that wanted so desperately to be released.

“You okay?” Kara turned back to find Lena beaming at her.

“Yes. Fine. Perfect in fact.”

The pair shared a laugh, Lena’s a little more strained than Kara’s but if the other woman noticed, she didn’t say anything about it.

“Do you want a drink? Or something to eat. I think I have some doughnuts left over from earlier.”

“No. I’m fine. Thank you.”

“You sure.”

“Quite.”

“Alright.” Kara said, her back once again to Lena as she sorted through the rack of clothing standing off to one side in her living room. “But if you change your mind, just say so.”

“I will. Thank you.”

“No problem. Anything for a friend, right?” Kara looked back over her shoulder to smile at Lena.

Lena smiled back, head tilted to the side.

“So, not that you’re not welcome to drop by whenever, but to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit.”

“Right.” A small, short lived laugh tripped from Lena as she dipped her head and started to dig through her purse. “I came to give you this to give to Supergirl.” She pulled out a small black rectangle with the L corp logo embedded in silver across one of the broader faces.

“What’s that?” Clothes forgotten, Kara closed the distance between them.

“A thumbdrive.” Lena pulled the cap off one end to reveal the USB plug then put it back on before holding the drive out for Kara. “I’ve had my IT people doing a top to bottom search of L corp servers for anything my… brother may have hidden before he…” She glanced away, gave her head a quick shake, then turned back to Kara. “Anyway, one of them found an encrypted folder buried where it shouldn’t have been. I only just cracked the encryption this morning and after seeing what was on it I thought it best if Supergirl had the only copy.”

Kara looked from the drive in her hand to Lena, then back again. “And what’s on it? If I can ask.”

Lena shrugged. “If Supergirl can trust you, I don’t see why I can’t.”

“You don’t trust me anyway?” Kara looked up again, a smile on her face.

“I do. You’re one of the few I do.” Lena’s smile was still tight, but genuine. “But as for what’s on the drive, it seems my brother had been keeping files on several known or rumoured aliens for years — before you-‘re friend Supergirl arrived on the scene-“

“She’s your friend too.”

“I suppose she is.” Lena’s smile grew a little less strained. “Anyway, mostly it’s just basics, strengths, weaknesses, planet of origin, that sort of thing but-“

“But?”

Lena winced. “There were… plans for some of them. Things _he_ wanted to do to them….”

“Oh.” Kara looked down at the drive with the same disgust Lena felt.

“I thought Supergirl should know in case any of my brother’s compatriots knew about those plans.”

“I- I’m sure she’ll appreciate the heads up.”

“I’m not. No person deserves to go through what he had planned. Just reading some of it was bad enough and I barely scratched the surface before coming here.”

“Lena. I-“

“I’m fine, Kara. Really. Aside from feeling terrible that I’ve put this in your head before your big date.”

“It’s not a date.”

Lena stood a little straighter. “It’s not?”

“It’s… kind of a date but it’s not, like, a _date_ date just a test date. A date audition if you will.”

Lena’s brow furrowed, caught between amusement and something else.

Kara looked down at her feet. “It’s complicated.”

“Sounds it.”

Kara laughed, some of the tension from the last few minutes melting away as she looked back up at Lena. “See. This-” she held up the drive, “-not a problem. You don’t have to worry about it ruining my sort-of-date.” She rolled her eyes. “Not that anything going to happen tonight anyway.”

“It almost sounds as if you don’t want to go on it.”

“I do. I just…” Kara’s face scrunched up as she searched for the right words.

“It’s complicated?”

“Yeah.” Kara shrugged.

“Well I can uncomplicated things a little for you. That dress you have on now? Perfect.”

“You think?”

“I do.” Lena slowly nodded as gave Kara a leisurely once over before the nod became a quick, hard shake. “And on that note, I’ll go. Let you finish getting ready without any more distractions.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I do.” Lena clutched the straps of her purse in front of her as she backed towards the door. “You know, the whole international corporation to run.”

“Right. Yeah. Of Course.”

“Good luck.”

“You too. And don’t worry, I’ll make sure Supergirl gets this asap.”

“I meant on your date but, thank you.” Lena turned around to close the last few steps to the door.

“Lena?”

“Yes?” Lena paused with her hand just shy of the doorknob.

“You’re not him.”

“I- Thank you.” Lena gripped the knob and quickly made her exit.

Almost.

“Kara?”

“Yeah?”

Lena turned around, teetering on the divide between apartment and hallway. “There was one thing I read that I was a little curious about.”

Kara gave Lena a quizzical look. “What’s that?”

“There was one file, a Tamaranian by the name of Koriand’r-“

“Starfire?”

“You know her?”

“No. but I’ve heard of her through Clark.”

“Of course, your cousin and his Superman connection.”

“Right.” Kara fiddled with her glasses as she glanced down at the floor. “So, uhm, what was it you wanted to know about her?”

Lena let out a short laugh. “Well, it’s not really about her, per se, it’s more… I read that she can learn languages through… kissing” Lena dipped her head just as Kara raised hers. “And, I don’t know why but it just popped into my head… how Supergirl learned English. Do you know if she-“

“No.” Kara snapped.

“Right, of course.” Lean shook her head, already back peddling out the door as she reached for the doorknob to pull the door shut behind her.

“No- I didn’t- Lena, wait.”

Lena looked up to find Kara holding the door in place.

“I meant no as in no, that’s not how Supergirl learned English. That’s strictly a Tamaranian thing.”

The two held each other’s eyes for several moments before Lena broke the silence.”

“Too bad. It be a very handy talent to have.”

“Yeah…” Kara grinned and Lena felt her heart skip a beat at the flush of pink spreading across Kara’s cheeks. “It would, wouldn’t it?”


	6. Oh Brother, Where Art Thou

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sibling angst! Yay.
> 
> Lena pays Lex a visit i prison. It goes about as well as you'd expect. 
> 
> This was the 5th drabble I posted.

“You know she’ll turn on you.”

“Lex, please-“

“You think she’s your friend, that she cares about you, that you _mean_ anything to her but you don’t. It’s all a lie!”

Lena dropped her head forward, trying to remember the reason she’d thought finally seeing Lex was a good idea, trying to remember the man she’d known growing up before his obsession had taken root and twisted him into this raving ghost of the loving brother he’d once been.

She couldn’t.

“That’s what they do. You’ll see. They show up from the stars and act like they’re here for us, like they give a shit about us, like we matter to them. And they feed off our adoration like a voracious god, twisting us around their alien fingers until it’s too late. Until they decide that we’re too dangerous, too selfish, too _human_ to make our own choices. To decide our own fates. To run our lives and our planet the way _we_ think best. Then the whole world will see them for what they are. Invaders. Conquerors. Tyrants that look down on us as insects, as sheep to be herded and penned up, trotted out only when they have a use for us. Only-“

“Shut up!” Lena’s head snapped up, her eyes bright with the anger and hatred and disgust she’d kept bottled up for far too long. “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! You’re the monster, Lex. Not them. Not her. You killed people. Countless people. Innocent people because you — _You_ — decided that you knew better. That they couldn’t be trusted to make their own choices. Not them, Lex, You. You did that. All they’ve ever done is protect us from men like you. From people like our Mother. People so tied up in fear and hate and ideology that that’s all they can see anymore. You’re the reason we need people like _them_.”

Lena pushed herself to her feet, her chair sent skidding back, the scrap of metal against concrete filling the small, sealed chamber where her brother sat on the other side of a thick sheet of plexiglass.

“And you’re wrong about her. She’s more noble, more honest, more trustworthy than anyone you or I will ever know. And she will always prevail over people like you because she has something you don’t, something you lost.”

Lena leaned towards the transparent barrier keeping them apart.

“Me.”

Lex’s laughter —a manic cackle so unlike the hearty chuckle she remembered that the two were irreconcilable as coming from the same mouth— started the moment she turned her back to him.

“You love her, don’t you.”

Lena said nothing as she stabbed the call button to alert the guard that her visit —first and last— was over.

“You do. Just remember one thing about your oh so wonderful super, little sister… I loved mine too, once.”

Lena’s eyes went wide, her body frozen in place as the implication of Lex’s confession sank through layers of disbelief, confusion, and realization.

The heavy, carbon steel door opened and Lena’s eyes flickered to the Guard waiting on the other side, the simple motion releasing the rest of her to follow through to the barren, utilitarian corridor beyond.

“You’ll see, Lena. I just hope it’s not too late.” Lex called out before the door sealed him away.

Away from her.

“Miss Luthor?”

“I’m fine.” Lena uncrossed her arms from over her chest and took back the purse and phone she’d given up earlier. “Do I need to sign anything?”

“Here, Ma’am.”

Lena scribbled the pen across the page where the Guard had pointed, her usual neat signature a knot of tangled ink.

“Is that everything?”

“Yes. Ma’am. If you’ll follow me?”

“With pleasure.” Lena made it three steps before she glanced at her cell phone. The thick, reinforced walls of the prison no doubt responsible for the aggravating ‘no signal’ notice that stared back at her.

And continued to stare until she stepped out into the grey light of an overcast sky and the chill breeze of the coming storm.

“Jess, cancel my appointments for the rest of today and tomorrow and book me on the first available flight to Metropolis. Yes, Metropolis. No, just one. And when you’re done that, call the daily planet and arrange for a meeting with Clark Kent. I don’t care when, just make it happen. Preferably somewhere private.”

Lina licked her lips as she slide into the waiting limo, the harsh edge to her voice dropping away once the driver closed the door. “And Jess, when you’re done all that, could you call Kara and tell her that I’m fine and I’ll tell her how it went when I get back. Actually, don’t tell her that last part. Just tell her that I’m fine and I’ll call her soon. Thank you, Jess.”


	7. Say It With Flowers - The Shippy Version

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sibling Angst again... only different.
> 
> I couldn't let the Lean-floods-Kara's-Office-With-Flowers event go by without putting my own special twist on it so here's Lena dealing with a highly protective Alex. 
> 
> This was originally the 8th drabble I posted and was originally posted as one drabble with two separate takes on the scene; one where Lena was secretly in love with Kara and one where she wasn't. I have split those two takes into separate chapters.

“Agent Danvers?” Lena’s head turned slightly to the side in curiosity. a small nod dismissing her assistant who stood waiting in the doorway just behind Alex. “Is this a social call or are you here to accuse me of something.”

Alex looked over her shoulder to make sure they were alone before turning back to Lena. “A little of both.” She folded her arms across her chest.

A knowing smile found Lena’s lips while an eyebrow arched as she gave Alex the benefit of the doubt. “Care to explain?”

Alex uncrossed her arms as she closed the distance to Lena’s desk. The backs of her curled fingers pressed into the polished glass top as she leaned forward to glare down at —save for her still raised eyebrow— an impassive Lena. “What are your intentions towards my sister?”

Another small nod. Lena leaned back into her seat, hands resting casually across her stomach as she met Alex’s glower with an innocent grin. “Purely honourable, I assure you. May I ask what brought this on?”

Alex straightened up, her arms once more crossed over her chest. “You know what.”

“I really don’t.”

“C’mon.” Alex shook her head as her glare went from accusatory to skeptical. “The office full of flowers?”

“You’ve never giving Kara flowers?”

“Not an office full of them.”

“So to be clear-” Lena leaned forward in her seat, her elbows resting on the edge of her desk, hands folded together to support her chin, “-it’s the number of flowers that you have an issue with, not the fact that I gave her flowers?”

“It’s not just that.” Alex tossed her arms apart as she spun around, fingers digging into her hips by the time she’d turned back to Lena. “There’s showing up at her apartment out of the blue and all the lunches you two have together.” Alex gripped the edge of Lena’s desk as she leaned forward again, her voice lowered in volume but not judgment. “And the way you look at her.”

“I wasn’t aware that I looked at her any differently than anyone else” Alex scoffed, eyes rolling theatrically as she pushed herself away from the desk. Lena gave her no time to comment before she continued. “And I admit that I’m unfamiliar with having a friend but it’s my understanding that the rest of your complaints are all part of the arrangement.”

The arms crossed again as Alex dropped a foot back; a pose Lena recognized from her firearms training. “And just what kind of arrangement is that?”

“One that you can ask Kara about, I’m sure.” Lena rose to her feet, her turn to lean across her desk as she added, “And one that really isn’t any of your business. Besides, it’s my understanding that Kara is already seeing someone so even if I had any intention of pursuing a romantic relationship, I couldn’t. Even if I was her type, which it appears I’m not.”

Alex glanced away, biting her tongue to stop herself from pointing out that Lean had more in common with Mon-El than she thought; the whole bad guy gone good thing, for one. Or woman, in Lena’s case. But her restraint was short lived and she fired back with, “That will never last.”

“Really,” Lena stood up, two fingers steepled atop her desk as a smirk spread across her lips. “Because from what Kara has told me during our many, _many_ lunches, you’re the one that keeps telling her to give him another chance.” Her tongue brushed across her teeth as steel entered her smile. “And now I’m starting to understand why.”

Alex shook her head as she stepped back up to Lena’s desk and pointed a finger at her. “I’m onto you, Luthor. And if you think I’m just going to stand around and let you hurt my sister-“

“Agent Danvers!” Lena snapped, her patience worn thin with Alex _and_ her unreasoning belief that she presented a threat to her sister. “The last person on this earth I want to hurt is Kara.”

The hint of doubt that blinked across Alex’s face was replaced by an expression of triumph. “So you admit that you want to hurt someone?”

A tight smile revealed Lena’s teeth before she replied with a pointed, “Not until a minute ago.”

That seemed to do it. The superior look of satisfaction on Alex's face crumbling beneath a flash of guilt before she fixed her features into a mask of neutrality. “I suppose you’re going to tell Kara about this.”

Lena crossed her arms over her chest. “You’d rather I lie to her?”

“No.”

“On that, we agree.” Lena dropped her hands to her sides. “But, for the sake of not upsetting Kara, I can agree not to bring it up _unless_ she asks about it.”

Alex nodded slowly. “… Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Lena settled back into her chair. “If that’s everything?”

“For now.” Alex turned to leave, then turned back without taking a step. ”You know this doesn’t change anything. If you hurt her…”

Lena looked up from the re-opened folder she’d been going through when Alex arrived. “On that, we also agree.”

The two stared at each other in silence for several seconds before Alex gave Lena a small nod, then turned to leave again.

Almost as soon as door closed behind Alex, Lena’s assistant stepped into her office. “I’m sorry Miss Luthor, she just went straight for the door and I-“

“It’s alright, Jess. Honestly, I thought that conversation would have happened sooner. Probably best to get it out of the way.”

“Yes Miss Luthor.”

“Jess?”

Jess turned around, the door held half open on her way back to her desk. “Yes Miss Luthor?”

“Call the florist. Have them send an arrangement to Agent Danver’s home address, Hyacinth and Lavender. And have a few dozen —say 6— Tulips sent to Kara’s office. Yellow and Red.”

“Yes Miss Luthor.”

“Let’s see what big sister makes of that, shall we?” Lena said under her breath as she picked up her pen and turned back to where she’d left off. “And the boyfriend.”


	8. Say It With Flowers - The Friendshippy Version

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Overprotective Alex, take two
> 
> As promise, here's the platonic Supercorp version of the Office-Full-Of-Flowers-Fallout scene. 
> 
> This is the second half of the 8th drabble posted.

“Luthor.”

“I’m sorry Miss Luthor. She just-“

Lena held up a hand, eyes fixed on Alex as she spoke. “It’s alright, Jess. Miss Danvers is always welcome to drop by.”

Alex looked over her shoulder, waiting until a still anxious Jess was on the other side of the crystal clear glass door to Lena’s office before she turned back to the Luthor in question.

“Unless it’s Agent Danvers?” Lena asked with an unconcerned casualness. “In which case your still welcome to drop in but I’ll need to have Jess cancel the rest of my appointments for the day.”

“Alex will do.”

“Alex it is.” Lena stood up and motioned towards the empty chair on the other side of her desk. “Please have a seat. Is there anything I can get you? Coffee, Tea? Kara usually brings doughnuts when she visits and we don’t usually have any left when she leaves so all I can offer you food wise are some carrot sticks.”

“I’m good.” Alex replied without moving from her spot, the empty seat ignored.

Lena cocked an eyebrow but said nothing as she settled back into her own seat. “Since we’re on a first name basis, I assume you’re not here on official business.”

“Are you in love with my sister?”

Lena’s other eyebrow rose sharply. “What?”

“I said, are you-“

“No, I heard you. I’m just lost as to what would even put that thought into your head.”

“Really?” Alex crossed her arms over her chest. “You can’t think of anything that might have happened recently that might make me thing you have feelings for Kara?”

A puzzled Lena shook her head. “No.”

“Nothing?” Disbelief practically dripped from Alex’s voice. “Like, say, an office full of flowers?”

Lena’s head leant to the side. “That?” horror replaced the confusion on her face. “Is that what Kara thought- Does she think that- that I was trying to-“

Alex’s eyes narrowed. “You really don’t have feelings for her?”

“Of course I do.” Alex’s eyebrows shot up, her hands dropping to her sides as started towards Lena’s desk but barely made it a single step before Lena continued. “She’s my friend. My only friend. I care for her but not like that. I only meant to cheer her up. Not proclaim my undying love for her.”

Lena was back on her feet as she spoke and pacing back and forth behind her desk by the time she fell silent.

Mostly.

“What am I supposed to do now?” She stopped pacing long enough to turn to Alex. “You know Kara better than anyone, what should I do to fix this?”

Alex stepped back, Lena matching the move immediately with a step forward. Alex held her hands up to stop Lena from taking another step. “You don’t have to.”

“Of course I have to.”

“No,” Alex shook her head, “You really don’t. Kara doesn’t think the flowers meant anything like that.”

“She doesn’t?”

Alex felt a stab of guilt at the cautious, almost frightened hope in Lena’s voice. “No.”

Several seconds of silence passed between them before Lena took a step back, hands smoothing down her skirt before her arms crossed together beneath her breasts. “So it’s only you that thinks that.”

Alex sucked at her lips for a heartbeat and decided that a little white lie would be better than the truth that Kara was the only one who didn’t see more to Lena’s actions than just being a good friend. Especially since she’d been the one to take it on herself to confront Lena about her intentions. “Uh-huh.”

Lena, jaw tight, nodded. A clipped, “I see.” her only reply.

“I should-“

“Yes.”

“Lena-“

“Miss Luthor.”

Alex took a step back and gave Lena —and herself— a slow, resigned nod. “I’m sorry. I was just worried about Kara, that’s all.”

“Of course you were.” Lena snipped as she moved back behind her desk. “And given your own relationship with Detective Sawyer, I doubt your concern had anything to do with my gender. Or Kara’s.”

“Of course not. I-“

“So it’s just because I’m a Luthor, then?”

Alex shook her head. “Yes. Mostly.”

“Well I guess there’s some comfort in knowing your only objection to Kara and I becoming intimately involved is my name.” Lena said as she eased her self into her chair with a clinical control.

“It’s more complicated than that.”

“I’m sure it is.” Lena picked up her pen from her desk, her fingers curled so tight that her knuckles started to stain white. “But since I have no romantic interest in Kara whatsoever, it doesn’t matter how complicated it is. Thank you, Miss Danvers. I really do need to get back to work.

Alex sucked in a breath. When Kara found out about this —and she would— she’d be getting the cold shoulder for a month.

At least.


	9. Two Geeks And A Super

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara's two resident geek bff's, Lena and Winn, team up to introduce their mutual friend to the Sci-Fi giant that is Star Wars but not before bonding over some tech talk. 
> 
> ... written before it was made clear that Kara is already a huge Star Wars Fan (at least if that look she gave Cat is anything to go by). Also, Supercorp if you squint. Or just look, really. It's not that well hidden. 
> 
> This was the 9th drabble I posted.

“Well what if you ran the signal through the-“

Lena snatched the stylus from his hand, finishing the line he’d started to draw on the rough sketch that now filled the screen of her tablet. “Yes. And then we’d feed the output through a-“

“Exactly.” Winn leaned in a little closer, Lena adjusting her grip on the tablet to give him a better view. “Then you’d boost the range and solve the-

“-Harmonic resonance problem.” Their voices overlapped as Lena completed the diagram with a few final strokes of the digital pen.

Winn sank back into the couch. A wide smile spread across his elated expression as he pulled the half eaten —and temporarily forgotten— bowl of popcorn onto his lap. “Beauty and brains.” Winn tilted the bowl towards Lena after filling one hand with the salt-and-buttered kernels. “How are we still single?”

Lena shook her head as she carefully selected several pieces of popcorn, arranging them in a circle on her other hand. A hint of mischief slipped into her own triumphant grin. “From what I’ve heard, you have horrible taste in women.”

Winn sighed as he brought his hand to his mouth. “Remind me to tell Kara to stop talking about me to other people.”

“Now where’s the fun in that?” Lena’s brow wrinkled in mock confusion, more than a hint of mischief in her smile as she looked up from the bowl.

“Ha. Ha.” Winn deadpanned before pointing at his nose. “See this face. Does this look like the face of someone having fun.” He lowered his finger, once again bringing his hand to his mouth before he lowered it again as he turned back to Lena. “And what about you?”

“I’m actually having a lot of fun.” Lena, looking over the selection resting on her palm, replied without missing a beat.

“No. I mean the-“

“Yes I know.” Lena picked up one piece of popcorn for closer scrutiny before exchanging it for another that under went the same inspection before she placed it in her mouth. She looked up at Winn and started to chew.

“… And?”

Lena swallowed. “I have excellent taste in woman.” she flashed him a grin before dropping her eyes back to her hand.

Winn’s forehead wrinkled in genuine confusion. “Wait, what?”

“Hey, sorry about that. There was a… thing I had to do at… the place.”

Both Lena and Winn looked over at their belated host as Kara dropped her keys and purse on the counter before joining them on the couch. Lena with a wide grin, Winn with a shake of his head as he mouthed ‘thing at the place.’

“It’s fine, Kara.” Lena shifted to make room for Kara to sit between them, smoothly snatching the bowl of popcorn from Winn’s lap to a cry of “Hey” as she did. The bowl was returned to Kara’s lap once the blonde was settled in. “Winn kept me entertained.”

“Speaking of which, can you please not discuss my love life with people who aren’t me.”

Kara looked over at Lena who shrugged in return as she popped another piece of popcorn between her lips. Kara turned back to Winn, face scrunched up in apology. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Winn waved his empty before pointing a finger at Kara as he gave her an exaggerated scowl. “Just don’t do it again.”

“I won’t.” The whole of Kara’s body from the waist up swayed back and forth a few degrees as she nodded.

Lena chuckled.

Kara turned to give her a firm look before she leaned forward to grab the remote. “Everybody ready?”

“Wait, wait, wait. Hold on one moment because there is one thing that’s still bugging me about this.” Winn waved a finger, pointing Kara to Lena then back several times.

“This?” Kara’s back went ramrod straight. She fumbled with her glasses as she shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. There’s no this here.”

“Uh-huh.” Winn’s expression left little doubt about how much he believed her. Not one bit. “Yeah there is. I’ve known you, how long, Kara?”

Kara tried very hard to ignore both sets of eyes watching her. “A while.”

“A long while.” Winn nodded as he leaned in closer to Kara. “And how many times have I tried to get you to watch any of the Star Wars movies?”

“A couple.” Kara’s eyes widened. “I mean a few.”

“A few?” Winn pulled back, head shaking in exasperation. “Try seventy-three.”

Lena leaned forward for a better view of Winn. “You kept count?”

“That’s beside the point. I want to know what Jedi mind trick —a reference which you’ll get after tonight, by the way— She-“ he pointed at Lena, “-pulled on you to get you to agree to finally watch them.”

Lena, still leaning forward, shrugged. “I asked.”

Winn’s face blanked. “You asked?” His eyes narrowed in suspicion. “That’s it?”

“Pretty much.” Lena gently but firmly pulled the remote from Kara’s hand. “Now if we’re done discussing your complete and utter failure to get Kara to watch some of the most quintessential Sci Fi stories to ever be committed to film, shall we get started. You can save any more questions until after Empire.”

“Which one is that?” Kara asked, still not looking at either of them.

“The second one.” Lena and Winn answered.

Kara turned to Lena. “Which second one.”

“The first second one.”

“The first numerically or the first chronologically?”

“Kara,” Lena bite down on her lip, then released it a heartbeat later to give Kara a reassuring smile. “Just watch, alright? For me?”

“Fine.” Kara turned back to the tv, the famous opening scrawl appearing a few seconds later. “But if I fall asleep, neither of you are allowed to draw on my face.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Lena folded her legs under her as she got herself comfortable for the next several hours, her shoulder pressed up against Kara’s in the process.

“Not after last time.” Winn finally tossed some of his handful of popcorn between his teeth.

“Uh-huh.” Kara shook her head, her turn to point back and forth between the couches other occupants. “I’m on to you two. And I don’t think I like how chummy you’ve gotten.

“Relax, Kara,” Winn mumbled around the half chewed popcorn in his mouth. “you’ll always be my very best Gal Pal.”

Lena leaned forward just enough to sneak a peak at Winn. Seeing him focused on the screen, she leaned back then dipped her head to bring it close to Kara’s ear. The tone of her voice sending a shiver down Kara’s spine when she whispered, “Likewise.”

“Lena!”

“Shush. Movie.” Winn scolded over the sound of Lena’s giggling.


	10. Cold Calling Cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena gets grilled again over her intentions towards Kara only this time by Cat Grant (who Lena might, sort of, just a tiny bit hero worship). Based of the episode where Kara got fired for publishing her article on-line. 
> 
> This was the 10th and final drabble I posted.

“Miss Luthor, Miss Grant for you on line one.”

Lena’s forehead furrowed in puzzlement as she tried to recall which of L corps current projects had a ‘Miss Grant’ attached to them —Jess would have screened out anything less worthy of her immediate attention— only for her eyebrows to shoot up when the name clicked into place.

“Grant as in _Cat_ Grant. Of _Cat_ co?”

Jess nodded. “Yes Miss Luthor.”

Lena was already reaching for her phone while trying desperately to remember how to breath when she asked, “Did she say why she was calling?”

The wince that passed over her assistant’s face stilled Lena’s hand.

“Not exactly.”

“Jess?”

“She didn’t sound very happy. Just kept demanding I put her through to you.”

“Oh.” Lena looked down at her phone. Her teeth tugged at her lip as she tried to recall what she could have done to so upset her idol, painfully aware that each blink of the hold light was one more second Cat Grant — _the_ Cat Grant— had to grow even more angry for whatever slight Lena may have given.

Eyes closed, Lena picked up the phone.

“Miss Grant? Lena Luthor here. May I jus-“ Both lips curled over her teeth as she pulled the handset a little further from her ear.

“I- … No I- … You see- … Yes, but-…“

Lena glanced over at the glass wall that separated her from her assistant. The fact that Jess was alone and seemed to be working at her desk and not watching her did nothing to diminish how much Lena felt like a small child being scolded by her teacher in front of the whole class for not doing her homework.

She turned her seat around.

If it was anyone else talking to her like this, Lena would have hung up. But it wasn’t just anyone so she sat, silent, until the voice at the other end of the call went quiet.

“Miss Grant, May I call you Cat? … Yes, Miss Grant. First off I would like to say that I understand why you’re upset but I assure you that my intentions in the matter were for the best. Kara’s editor wouldn’t publish her article and I agreed with her that it was too important for the public not to read. It was never my intention to poach her from Cat co. I- … Yes, I agree. She’s a very talented reporter and that’s why I would never intentionally sabotage her career. … No, I do see how it might look like that, but-… “Yes… Yes… The thought had crossed my mi- … With all due respect, Miss Grant, it was your editor that fired her- … No. I’m not saying- … Yes. I can- … I’ll have to check my- … No. No. I’ll be there. … Good by-“

Lena pulled the handset away from her face and stared at it for several seconds.

No wonder the woman had built the empire she had. Cat Grant was the unstoppable force _and_ the immovable object. If Lena didn’t know first hand how strong Kara was, how she’d had ever managed to not just survive but thrive under Cat for as long as she had would be something of a miracle. But since she did, knowing how vested Cat was in Kara’s life just made Kara all the more miraculous in her own right.

One day the hold world would see that too. Until then…

Lena turned her chair back around. She hung up the phone. She took a slow, deep breath.

“Jess.” Lena had barely taken her finger off the intercom button before her assistant’s head poked into her office.

“Yes, Miss Luthor?”

“I’ll be having dinner with Miss Grant tonight. Her assistant will be calling shortly with the details. Once you have them could you make the necessary changes to my schedule and make sure you give me an hour free before hand to get ready.”

“Yes, Miss Luthor.”

“And could you also call up Kara and see if she can tell you what Miss Grant’s favourite wine is. I may need to bring a peace offering.”

“Yes, Miss Luthor.”

“And then call Legal and have them find a loophole in the non-compete clause in Kara’s contract with Cat Co.”

“Should I ask Miss Danvers for a copy?”

“No. I have a feeling Miss Grant will be sending along a copy shortly.”

“Yes Miss Luthor.”

“Thank you, Jess. That will be all.”


	11. A Tiefling, A Gnome, And A Half Orc Walk Into A Bar...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tricked you. Technically I started to write this around the time I wrote the others but never finished it until now so I present to you the previously un-posted "11th Drabble"
> 
> Game Night Shenanigans. With special surprise guest stars.... or not. They're all listed in the story tags so you can probably figure out who it is.

“Thank you again for coming on such short notice.” Kara flashed Lena an earnest if slightly awkward grin as she placed a fresh bowl of chips down on her kitchen table. Her eyes flicked to her sister who mumbled under her breath as she pulled the bowl into her lap. She turned back to Lena. “You really didn’t have to, though.” Kara said over the sound of deep fried potato crushing under Alex’ grip as the elder Danvers stabbed her hand into the bowl. “I know this isn’t everyone’s idea of fun.”

“Please.” Lena beamed back at Kara. “This isn’t my first foray into the world of Dragons and Dungeons.

“Dungeons and Dragons.” Winn corrected as he reached out to take the bowl from Alex only to yank his hand back when she growled at him.”

“Dragons get top billing in my book.” Lena replied, still smiling at Kara. Winn’s nod of agreement unwitnessed by anyone else. “I’m just glad you don’t mind me joining in your campaign.”

“It’s no big.” Winn shrugged, reaching for the half empty bowl of pretzels only to have Kara snatch it away to refill it. “Seriously?”

Kara looked back over her shoulder, ignoring Winn’s lamentation in favour of expanding on his comment. “Tonight’s the first night. Winn won the draw last week for what game to play this week and this is what he chose.”

“Mmhmm.” Alex hummed, somehow turning the soft sound into a sharp one as she crumbled another handful of chips under her fingers while giving Winn a narrowed eye glare. “And Maggie just happening to get called in at the last minute has nothing to do with his choice whatsoever.”

“You can’t blame me for this.”

“Watch me.”

“Alex.”

Lena looked down to hide the grin that claimed her lips. It wasn’t the conflict she found amusing, but the familiarity that come with it, like Kara and her friends had had this same argument so often that it was more form than fury. 

She was almost envious of her. Of all of them.

No. She _was_ envious. That’s why she’d leapt at the last minute invitation. Well, part of the reason. Lena looked up, catching Kara’s eye as she returned the topped up bowl of Pretzels to the table, the two exchanging a grin before Kara leaned over and forced the bowl of chips from Alex’s grip to the sound of strained plastic.

“I was eating those.”

“No, you weren’t.” Kara put the bowl in front of her own seat and gave Alex a pointed glare when her sister reached out to reclaim it.

Alex settled back into her seat and crossed her arms over her chest.

Kara rolled her eyes. “Anyone need another drink?”

“I’m good.” Lena replied.

“I could use another.” Winn chipped in before tossing several twists of salted bread into his mouth.

“Another cooler?” Kara waited for Winn to nod before she headed back into the kitchen.

“Don’t even think it.” She called over her shoulder, Lena barely able to suppress her laugh as Alex settled back into her seat empty handed.

“That’s better.” Kara turned back to the table only to turn away again when there was a knock at her door.

“Jim-may” Winn called out even before Kara opened the door to reveal James Olsen waiting in the hallway. “Bout time you got here, my man.”

“Sorry, had to grab some supplies.” Jimmy said, giving Kara a quick hug with one arm, a heavy cloth bag hanging from each hand.

“What?” Kara looked over at the bags of unopened chips and bottles of beverages both alcoholic and non still waiting to be called into action from the staging ground of her kitchen island. “I already got supplies.” She closed the door as she followed Jimmy to the kitchen table.

“Not like these.” Jimmy put the first bag on the table. it settled with a solid but soft *thump* as did the other. Winn leaned over to peek into the nearest bag only to be driven back as Olsen shooed him away.

“C’mon. I’m a naturally curious person.”

“And you’re going to have to wait like everyone else.” Jimmy replied, sliding both bags to the other side of the empty seat next to Winn before flashing Lena a smile. “Lena.”

“James.”

“You sure you want to get dragged into this.”

“Ask my level eighteen tiefling bard.”

Winn leaned forward. “You… play a bard?”

“Lena has a lovely singing voice.” Kara chimed in as she preempted another attempt by Alex to lay claim to the pretzels.

Everyone turned to Kara.

“And you know this how?” Jimmy asked through his grin.

Kara looked at each of them in turn then at Lena.”-“

“I’m a drunk singer.” Lena answered for her. “Well, not drunk. but a few glasses of chardonnay combined with someone who knows every N’sync song by heart and I can get a little… vocal.”

“Alex.” Winn said to an Alex already rising from her seat. “I’m on it.”

“No you’re not.” Kara pushed Alex back into her seat. “New game night rule. No getting Lena drunk.”

“Does that apply to me as well?” Lena asked, hand raised just above shoulder height.

“Okay, Amended new game night rule, no one but Lena is allowed to get Lena drunk.”

“Boo!” Alex and Winn both cried, the latter tossing a pretzel at Kara or at least in Kara’s direction.

“Ow.” Alex slapped her palm over her cheek and shot Winn a glare from her uncovered eye.

“And no throwing food.” Kara sighed. “Which is already a rule.” She turned to Lena. “I’m sorry for them.”

“Don’t be. I don’t mind it at all.”

“See.” Winn said, pointing a finger at Lena in the twin hopes of absolving himself of any blame and distracting Alex. 

It might have worked if Lena, grinning, hadn’t added, “So long as you don’t throw any food at me.”

“That’s it, you’re both banned from snacks for the next hour.”

“How is this my fault?” Alex asked indignantly, twisting in her seat to face her sister while still holding her hand to her face.

“Because you encouraged him” Kara shot back, pausing in her effort to remove the snacks already laid out from their immediate range long enough to pull Alex’s hand away to examine her injury.

“Did it hit your eye?”

“No.”

“Then you’re fine.”

Alex slumped back into her seat, Lena just able to catch the grumbled “Maggie would have kissed it better.”

“She would not and you know it.” Kara said from the other end of the table. 

“Are we waiting on anyone else?” Jimmy asked as he finished setting up his GM screen before moving his seat to the other end of the table.

Kara shook her head. “No. Not unless one of you invited anyone.”

“I may have mentioned it to a friend of mine who’s just moved to National City. We used to play together when we were younger.” Lena said, “But it depends on whether or not she can find a sitter for her daughter.”

Kara stood still for a heartbeat before giving Lena a small nod. “Text her. And she can always bring her daughter with her if she wants. The more the Merrier.”

“Sadly Ruby isn’t a roleplayer.” Lena replied as she reached for her purse tucked under her seat to retrieve her phone. “And Sam has tried, repeatedly.”

“Sam?” Kara took the seat next to Lena. “That’s your friend?”

“Yes.” Lena paused in the middle of typing her text and turned her head to look at Kara. “I’m sure I’ve told you about her before.”

“Nope. I’d have remembered.”

“You sure?”

“Positive.”

“Oh.” Lena turned back to her phone. “Well I’m sure you’ll love her.”

“Guess we’ll find out.” Kara said from behind an unnatural smile.

“Dude is that a red Dragon figurine?”

“Dammit Winn.” Jimmy jerked the bag Winn as looking into off the table and stuck it behind his chair before giving his friend a disappointed shake of his head. "Not cool man, not cool."

“What? I told you I was curious.”

* * *

"You reach the bottom of the stairs and enter a short, ten foot or so long and half that wide, hallway made of ancient stonework. Several of the bricks are cracked and you can see some staining on the floor that indicates this hallway gets flooded from time to time but, for now, appears to have been dry for a while. At the end of the hallway you see rusted metal bars blocking the only exit other than back up the stairs. Beyond the bars you can make out what appears to be a very large room made of the same ancient stone work, the floor extending well past the light of your torches. You also see two pillars in the room that appear to have been carved out of the bedrock at the edge of your torchlight. What do you do?"

"I laugh at your hat some more."

Jimmy shook his head, the tall, the folded over tip of the black wizards hat he wore waving with the motion. "Seriously."

"Alex, rule one of Dungeons and Dragons is don't piss off the GM." Winn stage whispered across the table. "Like, ever. Not unless you want to have your brain melted by a Mind Flayer."

"I'm pretty sure that —whatever that is— would laugh at that hat too."

"Alex." Kara gave her sister a wide eyed, thin lipped, stare.

"Fine." Alex sighed as she picked up one of the dice scattered in front of her. "I... look for a way to open the bars."

"Wait." Winn, Kara, Lena and Sam" all shouted. "We check for traps." Kara said at a more reasonable level.

Jimmy looked over at Alex for a few tense seconds before turning to the others. "Roll for perception."

The other four all let out a held breath before reaching for their own dice. The next few seconds filled with the sound of polyhedrals clattering against wood and Alex munching away on a handful of popcorn followed by muffled voices as Winn and Sam added up their totals while Kara and Lena did the same silently.

"Fourteen" Lena said, a "Seventeen" from Sam following on its heels with Kara adding her own "Sixteen" and Winn trailing the pack with a "twenty-three".

"What?" Everyone but Alex asked as they turned to a grinning Winn.

"Is that good?" Alex mumbled around her mouthful of popcorn."

"How did you-"

"Nat Twenty." Winn boasted.

"On a skill check." Sam pointed out.

"Yeah, we give Nat twenty bonuses on skill checks. Within reason." Kara explained, before giving Sam a small shrug. "Sorry. House rule."

"

Why be sorry?" Sam smiled back at Kara. "This might just save our ass."

Jimmy cleared his throat and the rest of the table, minus Alex, turned to face the other end of the table.

"You find no traps."

"Well that was anti-climactic." Winn sighed. "And a waste of a perfectly good nat twenty."

Alex's beer bottle clunked onto the table. "So now can I try to get past the bars?

* * *

"I'm telling you, it's the third lever."

"And I'm telling you that if you pull that lever, we're all wyvern food."

"What Wyvern?" Winn looked around the room before turning back to Lena. "We're two hundred feet below ground in a stone box and the closest thing we've seen to a wyvern is a flying rat."

"C'mon, I got good air on that one." Alex said proudly as she mimed the unlucky rodent flying off into the distance."

"Guys? Focus?" Sam said, earning a nod from Kara. "We're _stuck_ stuck in this stone box thanks to a certain someone-"

"I told you, I'm naturally curious and so is my half elf." Winn defended his actions and those of his counterpart.

"A certain someone-" Sam repeated, "-and I, for one, would like to get out of here before the cultist we're hunting unleash unspeakable terrors from dimensions that will make a mind flayer look like a walk in the park. So can we please figure this puzzle out before that happen."

Lena and Kara both nodded.

Winn, handful of skittles half way to his mouth, said "Third Lever."

"It's not the third Lever!" Lena growled.

"I poke the brick."

Everyone turned to Alex.

Kara was the first to speak. "You-"

"Poke the brick."

"Which brick?"

Sam, Lena, Winn, and Kara all exchanged a nervous glance as a smiling James Olsen asked that question.

"The one behind the levers. The one you said was cracked when Kara examined them."

"Alex-"

"She pokes the brick." Jimmy cut Kara off, his hands slapped together in glee. "Everyone role for initiative."

* * *

"Yeah, take that you rebel scum." Alex cried out as she launched from her seat to bask in all her triumphant glory.

"Cultist." Sam corrected her.

"Cultist scum." Alex amended before draining the rest of her beer and thumping the bottle down next to her dice. "That's how you role a nat twenty."

"Is your sister always this excited about beheading people?" Sam whispered into Kara's ear. 

Kara, staring at Alex in a mix of dull horror and fascination, shook her head, paused, then turned to Sam. "Maybe. I don't think I've even seen her behead someone before."

Sam's forehead wrinkled. "Isn't that the kind of thing you're remember?"

"Yo, anyone want a fresh one while I'm up?" Alex asked as she picked up her empty bottle, not waiting for a reply before she headed of to refresh herself.

* * *

"And with one last final gasp, more gurgle then breath as dark green blood spills from the head cultist's mouth as he stares down at the sacred blade buried in his chest, he stumbles back over the shattered stone and falls into the closing portal, the last sound you hear before the glowing gateway to the void blinks out of existence are the chittering of unseen hell-spawn racing towards their first fresh meal in millennium."

Several beats went past before the whole table erupted into a cheer followed by a barrage of high fives in every direction even after Winn withdrew from the celebration to nurse his palm from Alex's enthusiastic high five.

"That was-" Sam started to say before Alex cut her off with an "Awesome!" 

"I'm still not forgiving you for almost getting us killed." Kara teased as she got up and started gathering the remains of their snacks, including several now empty pizza boxes.

"Please. It got us out of the room Elf boy over there got us stuck in, didn't it?"

"Half elf, thank you." Winn said under his breath.

"And nearly killed our bard." Kara countered.

"You really do have a nice voice." Alex said, turning to Lena as she settled back into her seat.

"Thank you." Lena pulled her lips over her teeth before flashing Alex a quick grin. "Here, Kara, let me-"

"Nope." Kara neatly spun away from Lena's attempt to take some of the burden she was carrying away. "Guest's don't clean. That's another house rule."

"Does that mean I don't have to clean up?" Winn asked as he got up to stretch."

"No. You're helping. Maybe it'll cure you of your 'curiosity'."

"Rude." Winn let out a dramatic sigh before he set about cleaning the area around his seat.

He stopped after a few seconds and turned to Jimmy who was packing away the screen. "Wait... what was the Red Dragon for?"

Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and turned to Jimmy.

"That-" he said as he pulled out the six inch tall, highly detailed model and placed it on the grid map with their final encounter space still scrawled across its surface in blood red dry erase marker, "-was for if you pulled the third lever."

"Dammit!" Winn cursed.

"Save it for next week." Alex said, causing the rest of the room to stop once again, not that she noticed as she mimed her hand sailing off into the distance. "I want to see how far I can send a dragon head flying."


End file.
